How to Unlock Hidden Enthusiasm in Your Students

Competing with cell phones and video games for students' attention can be daunting for teachers today. But there are ways to tap into your student's creativity and stir their excitement to get them more fully engaged in learning activities. Here are a few suggestions for unlocking your students' enthusiasm for education.

 

Hands-on technology

Instead of fighting technology like for your students' attention, optimize its use. Consider the use of classroom clickers that allow students to click anonymously when they have a question about material being presented. Encourage the use of presentations design programs like Prezi, and show students how to create blogs using a program like Medium to publish their ideas for the public to read. Technology can be fun and an invaluable learning tool.

 

Experiential assignments

Getting students engaged in assignments outside the classroom is a great way to connect them with the outside world and empower them to make decisions about their own learning. For example, choosing a local community issue for research and interviewing someone closely involved with it offers meaningful real-world experience and insight that will excite them about the topic and the class.

 

Arts and music

Everyone loves the arts and music, especially students. Fortunately, there are many ways to use both in class activities. Some instructors play popular music before or during class periods. Others encourage students to include music as a backdrop to classroom presentations or to enhance a written project. Art pieces can be studied, projected, and observed first-hand by taking field trips to museums or local landmarks. Professionals in the field, like those with an online music education degree, may be willing to give a talk or demonstration at your school, which can stimulate student interest.

 

Service learning

Some instructors organize a service learning opportunity for individual students in their courses or an entire classroom. For example, a biology teacher may offer extra credit as part of a service learning opportunity for students who volunteer to pick up dead branches at a metropolitan park. A park ranger may lead the project and offer interesting information about the park foliage to enhance the learning experience.

 

In-class presentations

Letting students share assignments with classmates fosters a sense of pride and confidence in their ability to accomplish something meaningful that others will enjoy. Supported by PowerPoint, video clips, audio recordings, and other AV options, these presentations bring peer learning to the students' level as they prepare reports for those with similar interests.

 

Add an extra dimension for learning with assignments like these. Because each student learns in a different way, it’s important to incorporate new ideas in teaching lessons to get everyone engaged.

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Comment by Leona Hinton on June 24, 2016 at 8:16am

Great ideas Emma! I think that successful technology integration is utterly improtant, because it helps teachers to make the studying process more interactive. Besides that, it's a smart way to engage and motivate students. I've noticed that since we have started to use online tools such as Prezi and iMapBuilder, my students became happier and more enthusiastic. We also use personalized learning tools (a plagiarism checker Unplag and a software for lessons creation called Knewton). Don't miss out on using new alternative tools but keep asking your studying to share with you their thoughts and impressions

Comment by Sarah Taylor on June 30, 2016 at 12:48am

What are the personalities of a proactive student? How can I build our student extra proactive? I have to write for Dissertation Writing Help about student Help?

Comment by Emma Charlotte on August 13, 2017 at 5:24am

This is the best thing that I hope that I can implement in my teaching methods. While working with a dissertation writing service, I hope these guidelines will be perfect to make students able to learn best.

Comment by Brian Rock on October 24, 2017 at 8:43am

I love service learning. It's a great way to tie in good citizenship and civics to other classes.

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